Dear
Andrew,
Nice
to hear some news from our colleagues and pleased to hear some of us are
letting go of our medical selves.
I
also retired from GP, chose to end exactly 40 years to the day after opening my
solo practice in Canberra. I'd moved to Port Macquarie 12 years ago so knew
what expect in terms of patients' feelings of abandonment by "their"
GP. Nice to be needed, but I'd certainly begun to be frustrated by the changes,
the box-ticking bureaucracy imposed by (inter alia) governments, Medicare,
PRODA, RACGP, AHPRA, HCCC & RMS, to name just a few! I also didn't want to
become Doc Martin and have people start to whisper that ".... silly old
bugger should have retired years ago . .."
I
still keep my hand in with my NED position with Healius, which has been a
fascinating challenging journey since the Primary days when Edmund Bateman and
the then chair Rob Ferguson tapped me on the shoulder (2010).
As I
write this I'm on a 4,000 mile motorcycle trip with my sons in the US, now in
Pagosa Springs Colorado. We had a week in New York first featuring great times
at the usual suspects, Guggenheim, Museum of Natural History, the Met and NY
Philharmonic. I also visited the 9/11 memorial and museum which was
surprisingly moving and well focussed on remembering those who died and those
(including some extraordinary canines) who tried to rescue. Travel in the days
of plague isn't too bad, especially when you're vaccinated, boosted and
had a dose of Covid (fortunately mild), as I have. Masks and other restrictions
are minor costs of renewed freedom. Many places in he US, Taos Pueblo, for
example, are closed and others have timed entry requirements.
My
bikes are "stabled" in Scottsdale in Arizona which I'm able to do
thanks to the great help and hospitality of Tim Ingall. Time continues to work
full time at The Mayo albeit now splitting his time about 50/50 between
Neurology and Ethics. At least he's had the sense to give up the on call work.
He and his wife, Jeanne are great hosts, excellent cooks and their lovely new
home has superb views, not to mention a wine wall which would be the envy of
many of us. I've enjoyed some superb Californian reds during visits with Tim.
I
had dinner with Rob Sebesfi and family last year in Sydney and have an
occasional coffee with Joe McMahon, who also lives in Port, but that's the
extent of my gossip!
I'm
sorry this has turned into a book!
Enjoy
your retirement, may it be a long one!
Kind
regards,
Paul
Jones
PO
Box 5230
Port
Macquarie BC
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